THE VOICE EDITION FOUR
GETTING MOTIVATED | SAREES & FLANNOS | RMCSA CLASSIFIEDS | BIGGEST LIES ON THE INTERNET | NETBALL RECAP + FESTIVALS
look outside for a few seconds — and just feel the negativity, without trying to banish it. Then take action alongside the emotion. Usually, the negative feelings will soon dissipate. Even if they don’t, you’ll be a step closer to a meaningful achievement.
The Key to Getting Motivated: Give Up Writer Oliver Burkeman {source: Behance – 99u.com} no matter how fulfilling your work, there’ll be days when you just can’t summon any enthusiasm for it. What makes undermotivation especially frustrating is that the solution seems obvious: what you need, is more motivation; but undermotivation digs in its heels, making progress harder than ever.
T
here’s a reason for this, trying to ‘get motivated’ can often make matters worse. The real problem isn’t that you don’t feel like taking action; it’s the underlying assumption that you need to feel like taking action before you can act. As research by Harvard psychologist Daniel Wegner and others has repeatedly demonstrated, our efforts to control our emotions through sheer force of will can end in self-sabotage: resolve to get ‘psyched’ about some unappealing task, and it’s all too easy to end up fixating on the gap between the emotion you feel and the one you wish
you were feeling. By internalizing the idea that you need to ‘get motivated’, you’ve inadvertently placed an additional hurdle between where you are and where you want to be — now you don’t merely have to accomplish certain tasks, you’ve set yourself the much harder task of feeling like doing them, too.
TRYING TO ‘GET MOTIVATED’ CAN OFTEN MAKE MATTERS WORSE Fortunately, there’s a powerful alternative, crystallised by the psychology writer Julie Fast in a pithy eight-word phrase: ‘Don’t wait until you feel like doing something.’ When you’re stuck in negative emotions about work, resist the urge to try to stamp them out. Instead, get a little distance — step away from your desk,
This approach is one aspect of what’s known in Buddhism as ‘non-attachment’. As James Hill, a contemporary practitioner of Morita Therapy (http://www.todoinstitute.org/morita.html), points out, many of our most significant achievements get done despite the absence of enthusiasm: ‘Is it accurate to assume that we must ‘overcome’ fear to jump off the high dive at the pool, or increase our confidence before we ask someone out for a date?” he asks. “If it was, most of us would still be waiting to do these things.” Morita himself had some startling advice for those afflicted by procrastination and other woes: “Give up on yourself” What he means is that trying to stop being ‘a procrastinator’ or ‘a lazy person’ is a distracting waste of time. What matters is action: “Go ahead and be the best imperfect person you can be,” he went on, “and get started on those things you want to accomplish before you die.” Don’t worry about getting motivated. Just get going • .......................................... Oliver Burkeman is the author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking, and writes a column on psychology for The Guardian. THE VOICE 3
International Night ’14 Writer Avanti Joshi (Cultural Rep) Photos Rushfique Hamid & Roger Lee This much-loved evening lived up to expectations, and was a great success for all involved! Mouthwatering dishes from around the world were prepared by our very own RMC Members, and deftly served by the RTs. As voted by our Panel, the tastiest dishes were the mini pizzas, double award-winning chicken curry (crowned Chef RMC for 2014), and the bannofee pie. On top of these delicacies, were the delightful performances enjoyed by all. There was a range of Dances — from African (courtesy of Prince Byron), to Indian (‘saree for party rocking’); even Belly (a highlight of the Night)! Other wonderful acts included Naomi’s lovely French song, Megan and Alex’s divine performance, as well as the surprise item of Peta playing the bagpipes. Finally, a very big thank you to our MCs — Mac & Evie — for their attempt at speaking French, and to all of you who came along and dressed up for the occasion •
THE VOICE 4
THE VOICE 5
- CL ASSIFIEDS THE REVUE chapel fri 23 may, 7.30 pm Menzies wants you to perform at the Revue! To show off some skills you wouldn’t normally do Boys, fly your flag and dress up in drag or simply show up and perform with your swag Come through to the Chapel and set up your spot Because, let me tell you, it’s gonna get hot! What better way to finish off RMC Arts Week (19 ~ 23 May 2014) than with music, dancing and cross-dressing! See the Cultural Committee if you’re interested in performing, or simply come along to the Chapel and support your fellow Collegians. Looking forward to seeing you there!
INTER-COLL . FOOTBALL mqu sports fields sun 25 may, 1.30 pm Will RMC be able to secure 1st place in the final fixture of Inter-college Sport for Semester One? Join us on the Sports Fields to find out — hopefully things don’t get too Messi! If you’d like to play for Menzies, please see the Sports Committee #PitchesAintShit THE VOICE 6
THE TIME WE GOT A NEW FIRE ALARM
MAY 1 ~ 19 3
‘I love coincidences, they, like, make me hyperventilate — they’re so much fun!’ ANNELISE GREEN,
‘BE PRODUCTIVE —BUT NOT REPRODUCTIVE ... THAT’S JUST AWKWARD’ KATIE HOST, A Physicist and a Biologist had a relationship, but there was no Chemistry
*At the Astronomy Open Night* Jon: ‘Look — we got mobiles of the Solar System that we can make! If only we had some craft stuff to make them cool ...’ Ash: ‘I’ve got glitter — Uranus will be pink and sparkly in no time!’ ASH BROAD, Upon assessing the gravity of the situation, decided to draw inspiration from Ke$ha
Proves that it’s often the little things in life that take our breath away
BIGGEST LIES ON THE INTERNET
alyse: ‘Hey Ethan! You should ask Annie [Sandifer] for her hand in marriage’ ethan: ‘I don’t think so. Not today’
‘I need a whiteboard on my door — all the cool people have them. I’m not cool, but I’m aspiring’
ETHAN YEATES, MATT SU,
Wants to get on board with this remark(er)able trend
Is way too young to engage in this matter of wife and debt
DID YOU KNOW ...
90% of people will fake laugh when they don’t understand what someone has said to them
‘Eat leafy greens at least once, you might find a new marijuana’ KATHERINE WANNAN, Stirs the pot with an idea that is dope
THE VOICE 7
clockwise from top: The Guys; Evie M’s textbook defence technique; Sink Sank Sunk; Joey Crane – does squat; The Girls
INTER-COLL.
Netball 03/05/14
Correspondant Joey Crane (sports rep)
THE VOICE 8
Upper hand The Girl’s Team featured many seasoned netballers who passed on their knowledge by coaching the Guys (who, by contrast, had no idea what was going on) Big moment When Tess could finally tell the difference between Hunter and Declan It could have changed when The Umpire nearly threw in the towel as a result of the Guy’s blatent disregard for the rules (quote: “Centre — stand aside. Yes you. No, the
other si-. Whatever, play on”) Things went swimmingly for ... Katherine Wannan scoring point-after-point against the Village at an astounding rate of accuracy Not so swimmingly for ... Max Moore who, when trying to intercept a pass, was rewarded instead with a backhand to the face What does it all mean? We’re now only 6 points away from the top — yes we can! •
WRITING
WHAT’S ON 16 ~ 30 MAY
FESTIVAL
Vivid Sydney sydney cbd 23 may ~ 9 june
Sydney will once again be transformed into a spectacular canvas of light, music, and ideas when Vivid takes over the City after dark. Mesmerising outdoor lighting sculptures, and spectacular illumination of Sydney’s iconic architecture make for an event not to be missed!
2014 Sydney Writers’ Festival various locations 19 ~ 25 may
Hear from writers including Alice Walker, Jacques Roubaud, and Vince Gilligan (creator of Breaking Bad) and explore writing that challenges, provokes, and questions our concepts of culture, history and identity. www.swf.org.au
9 PHOTOGRAPHY
Head On Photo Festival sydney until 8 june
9
Head on celebrates a wide range of photography — from photojournalism and reportage through commercial and fine-art. also includes a shipping-container photo booth in Pitt St Mall manned by top Australian + international photographers
ART
www.headon.com.au
www.vividsydney.com
19th Biennale of Sydney: ‘You Imagine What You Desire’ various locations until 9 june
Held every two years, the Biennale presents Australia’s largest and most exciting contemporary visual arts event. In addition to the Art Gallery of NSW, venues include two heritage-listed locations: Carriageworks (a former rail yard) and Cockatoo Island (former prison and shipyard) www.biennaleofsydney.com.au
9 EVENT
Arts Week menzies 19 ~ 23 may
Shakespeare, Chalk-Art, Jazz Dancing, and more! Take a break from your studies, and join us in a Week that promises to get your creative juices flowing! See the posters around College to find out what’s on and when THE VOICE 9